Needle-holding attachment for embroidering-machines.



E. W. KELLER.

NEEDLE HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR EMBROIDEBING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1912.

1,067,81 8, Patented July 22,1913.

WIN/588E ATTORNEY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA c.

llNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE W. KELLER, OF WEST HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM A. WHITE, OF WEST HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

NEEDLE-HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR EMBROIDERING-MACHIN ES.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE W. KELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'No. 9418 Hill street, l/Vest Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Needle- Ho-lding Attachment for Embroidering- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in needle holding attachments for embroidering machines in which such of the needles of the embroidering machines as may be de sired can be made inoperative to change the repeat of the design of the embroidery, and is more particularly applicable to embroidering machines of the shuttle type.

In embroidering machines of the shuttle type now in use when it is desired to change the repeat of the design of the embroidery it is necessary entirely to remove from the needle bar of the machine the needles which are no longer required by unscrewing them from their attachment to the needle bar, an operation involving great loss of time and labor, and the objects of my invention are to provide, first, a needle holding attachment for embroidering machines whereby such needles as may be desired can be rendered inoperative without removing them from the needle bar of the embroidering machine, second, a needle holding attachment for embroidering machines whereby the field. for artistic designs is greatly enlarged, third, a needle holding attachment for embroidering machines which through its ability to save the time and labor which in the case of embroidering machines commonly used is now consumed in changing the repeat of the design and lost, such machine then being inoperative, greatly increases the output of the embroidering machine with reduction in cost and greater opportunity for profits; in other words, a process which at present consumes hours may by my device be done in minutes, and fourth, a needle holding attachment for embroidering machines whereby sectional work may be done, that is, sections or groups of needles may be quickly and easily withdrawn from operation to provide empty space on the fabric for other work than embroidery. I attain these objects by the ole Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1912.

Patented July 22, 1913.

Serial No. 709,171.

vice illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1, is a plan view of my needle holding attachment for embroidering machines, showing one of the needles withdrawn from operating position. Fig. 2, is a section of my needle holding attachment for embroidering machines on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a section of my needle holding attachment for embroidering machines on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig.4, is a perspective View of a modified form of my needle holding attachment for embroidering machines detached from the needle bar.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My needle holding attachment for embroidering machines comprises the needle bar, 5, of the embroidering machine, a section thereof only being shown in the drawings, a slidable plate, 6, and a locking device or clutch 7 The needle bar, 5, is provided with a groove, 8, extending transversely thereof, having inclined sides and of less width at its top than at its bottom, and with two holes or perforations, 9, in the groove, 8, extending partly or entirely through the needle bar as may be desirable, the holes or perforations, 9, being arranged in distance from the front edge of the needle bar, 5. and separated from each other as hereinafter described. The slidable plate, 6, has inclined edges and is of width suitable to permit it readily to slide in the groove, 8, of the needle bar, 5, and its length is slightly less than the width of the needle bar, 5. The slidable plate, 6, has at its outer end a suitable set screw means for holding the needle.

The clutch, 7, is provided with a shell or case, 10, securely located on the slidable plate, 6, vertically thereon, the shell or case, 10, having in its top edge oppositely related recesses or slots, 11, inclined or curved outwardly toward their tops. A pin, 12, is located within the shell or case, 10, and has at its top a shouldered button or manipulating member, 13. The pin, 12, is of such length that when the shoulder of the button, 13. rests on or engages the top edge of the shell or case, 10, the lower end of the pin, 12, will extend through the slidable plate, 6, which is provided with a hole to permit it so to do, into and in engagement with one of the holes or perforations, 9, in the needle bar, 5. A bar, 14, extends transversely through the pin, 12, near the top thereof, the ends of the bar being engageable with the oppositely related slots or recesses, 11, in the case, 10.

A spring 15, is arranged within the case or shell, 10, and connected to the pin, 12, tending under compression to thrust or projectthe pin, 12, downward through the slidable plate, 6, into engagement with one of the holes or perforations, 9, in the needle bar, 5, the pin, 12, being held in this posi tion of engagement and preventing sliding movement of the slidable plate, 6, through the engagement of the ends of the bar, 14, with the slots or recesses, 11, in the case 10. The pin, 12, is releasable from its engagement with the hole, 9, of the needle bar, 5, by turning the pin, 12, by means of the button, 13, until the ends of the bar, 1 1, following the curve or incline of the slots or recesses, 11, in the case, 10, rise and rest on the top or edge of the case, 10, and thus lift the pin, 12, out of the hole, 9, of the needle bar, 5, the holes, 9, being so placed in the needle bar, 5, in distance from the front edge thereof and distance apart that when the pin, 12, of the clutch, 7, engages the front hole, 9, the needle in the end of the slidable plate, 6, will project in position for operation and when the pin, 12, is in engagement with the rear hole, 9, the needle will be withdrawn from operative position. Thus a single needle may be placed in operative or inoperative position, or any number of needles adjacent to each other or separated from each other may be so placed, but in any case the change is of an individual needle at a time, and not of groups or series of needles. The slidable needle holding plate, 6, is detachable or removable from the needle bar, 5, by disengaging the clutch, 7, from the needle bar and sliding the plate, 6, along the needle bar until it clears it, the advantage of this detachability being that such needle holding plate or plates can be removed to a table or other convenient place and a different sized needle inserted therein, while the remaining needle holding plates continue in operation in the machine without loss of time.

The modified form of my device, Fig. 4, has a slidable needle holding plate, 6, provided with a back, 16, having ears, 17. A rocker member, 18, is pivoted between the cars, 17 having a horizontal extension and an upward extension. A downwardly projecting pin, 19, is pivoted to the end of the horizontal extension of the rocker member and passes through the slidable plate, 6, so as to engage with the holes, 9, in the needle bar, A spring, 20, is arranged between the back, 16, and the upward extension of the rocker member, 18, to exert pressure on the upward extension of the rocker member to thrust or project downward the pin, 19, into engagement with the holes, 9, in the needle bar, 5.

The operation of my needle holding attachment for embroidering machines is as follows: The embroidering machines of shuttle type commonly used are provided with a needle bar or bars having the needles connected thereto and projecting therefrom by a set screw or clamp device, the needle bar or bars being arranged to impart to the needles a stitching movement through the fabric which is spanned on a movable frame, as many as seven hundred and twenty needles being employed in some machines, each of which needles makes or, as it is termed repeats the design. If it is desired to change the repeat it is necessary to stop the machine and remove wholly from the machine such needles in number and position on the needle bar will bring about the change with consequent cost of labor and loss of time. In employing my device it should be understood that it is used with each needle of the embroidering machine. the needle bar or bars of the machine being provided with a groove, 8,- and holes or perforations, 9, before described, to receive a slidable needle carrying plate, 6, for each needle, connected to or held on the needle bar, by engagement of the clutch, 7, with the holes or perforations, 9, in the needle bar. When the clutch, 7, is in engagement with the front hole or perforation, 9, of the needle bar the needle at the end of the slidable plate, 6, is in position of oper ative projection, and when the clutch, 7, is in engagement with the rear hole or perforation, 9, of the needle bar the needle at the end of the slidable plate is in position of inoperative withdrawal, the change being made by simply disengaging the clutch from the front hole or perforation, 9, and sliding the plate back until the clutch engages in the rear hole or perforation, 9, the effect being that the needle ceases to perform its part in repeating the design, and such change can be made while the embroidering machine is stopped for a very short time.

In operating the modified form of my device the upward extension of the rocker member, 18, is drawn backward by pressure on it and on the back, 16, so that the pin, 19, is disengaged from the needle bar, 5, to permit the slidable plate, 6, to be moved in the direction to place the needle in the desired position.

Having fully described my invention 1 claim 1. A needle holding attachment for embroidering machines, comprising a needle bar, a needle holding plate slidable on the needle bar transversely thereof for placing an individual needle in position of operative projection or inoperative Withdrawal, and means attached to the slidable needle holding plate operating vertically thereto and engageable with the needle bar for retain ing the slidable plate on the needle bar in position for projection or withdrawal of the needle; substantially as set forth.

2. A needle holding attachment for embroidering machines comprising a needle bar, a needle holding plate slidable on the needle bar transversely thereof for placing an individual needle in position of operative projection or inoperative Withdrawal, and means attached to the slidable needle holding plate provided with a vertically operating pin engageable with the needle bar for retaining the slidable plate on the needle bar in position for projection or Withdrawal of the needle; substantially as set forth.

3. A needle holding attachment for embroidering machines comprising a needle bar, a needle holding plate slidable on the needle bar transversely thereof for placing an individual needle in posit-ion of operative projection or inoperative withdrawal and means attached to the slidable needle holding plate provided with a vertically operating spring-actuated pin engageable with the needle bar for retaining the slidable plate in position on the needle bar for projection or withdrawal of the needle, the needle bar being provided with holes for engagement of said pin; substantially as set forth.

l. A needle holding attachment for embroidering machines comprising a needle bar, a needle holding plate slidable on the needle bar transversely thereof and detachable therefrom for placing an individual needle in position of operative projection or inoperative Withdrawal, and means attached to the slidable needle holding plate provided with a vertically operating spring actuated pin engageable with the needle bar for re taining the slidable plate on the needle bar in position for projection or withdrawal of the needle, the needle bar being provided with holes for engagement of said pin; substantially as set forth.

5. A needle holding attachment for embroidering machines comprising a needle bar, a needle holding plate slidable on the needle bar transversely thereof for placing an individual needle in position of operative projection or inoperative withdrawal, said slidable plate having on its inner end a back provided with forwardly extending ears, a rocker member pivoted between said ears having an upward extension and a horizon tal extension, a vertically operating pin pivoted to said horizontal extension and extend ing downward through the slidable needle holding plate, and a spring arranged between the above mentioned back and the upward extension of the rocker member to exert pressure on the rocker member to bring the above mentioned pin into engagement with. the needle bar, the needle bar being provided with holes for engagement of said pin; substantially as set forth.

EUGENE W. KELLER.

lVitnesses:

H. \V. DAVIS, 13. L. FLETCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

